Spring 2026 Issue - Part 4 - U of T Magazine

Startups

Xatoms founder and U of T student Diana Virgovicova rests her chin on her hand, looking upward in a thoughtful pose.

She Designed a Water-Purifying Molecule at 17

Now a U of T student, Diana Virgovicova is using AI to help tackle global water pollution Read More

TransCrypts co-founders Ali Zaheer (left) and Zain Zaidi stand in a high-rise office lounge, wearing suits, smiling and looking off-camera.

Never Lose Your Records Again

A U of T startup lets you securely store and share your credentials – without relying on paper documents or waiting for the mail Read More

A hand holds a pill marked with a circuit symbol in a lab, as a scientist works at a microscope, evoking tech-driven drug development.

A Better Way to Build Cancer Drugs?

Using artificial intelligence combined with peptide design, a U of T–linked startup takes its first treatment into clinical trials Read More

Artificial Intelligence

A student writes with a pixelated pencil in a classroom setting, suggesting the role of digital technology in learning.

Building a Better Way to Assess Kids’ Language Skills

While most AI tools are trained on adult language, researcher Eunice Jang has developed a platform that understands how children speak, write and learn Read More

Rotman School of Management professor Ajay Agrawal smiles at the camera against a colourful abstract background.

Canada Needs an AI ‘Moonshot’

Five bold goals to guide how AI could help Canadians in health care, literacy and more Read More

Entrepreneurship

A colourful collage illustrates areas of innovation, including virtual reality, biotechnology, lab research and data-driven technologies, with scenes of scientists, digital interfaces and global impact.

How U of T is Powering Startup Growth in Canada

A network of entrepreneurship hubs is attracting billions in investment and helping keep Canadian talent at home Read More

An illustration of two dentists examining large teeth, with one dentist pointing at a blue rectangle between two teeth, suggesting the chewable dental tablet.

A New Way to Protect Your Teeth

A U of T alum’s dental chew aims to tackle one of the world’s most widespread – and overlooked – health problems Read More

Kiwi Charge founder Abdel Ali crouches beside his company's robotic electric vehicle charger at a startup showcase, with a display screen showing the system in use.

U of T Startups Take the Spotlight at True Blue Expo

Ventures in AI, health, and cleantech showcase what’s being built right now Read More

Would You Ever Start Your Own Company?

Ambition runs high among students – but so do the doubts that can hold them back Read More

A man stands facing forward with his arms crossed.

Rethinking How Materials Are Made

Alum Michael Helander’s company is using simulation to speed the development of materials for electronics, energy and more Read More

Learning

Four students participating in an escape room face the camera and wave or give a thumbs up. Spread out on nearby tables are wooden boxes with various objects and papers. One box has two plants in it.

How To Engage Today’s Students? Try An Escape Room

Professors are experimenting with ways to make learning more active, immersive and effective Read More

Three schoolchildren wearing backpacks and summer clothing appear to be running away from the viewer

For a Century, This School Has Put Children First

How U of T’s Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study continues to rethink what education is for Read More

Paul Doherty kneels in the snow in a bright orange flotation suit, analyzing snow crystals with a handheld crystal comparison card

A Hands-on Lesson in the Science of Snow

Northeast of Toronto, students dig, drill and measure their way to understanding a frozen landscape Read More

Campus

Students assemble and test robotic components in the Continuum Robotics Laboratory at U of T Mississauga.

Putting Innovation to Work

Turning leading-edge research into real-world impact in the age of AI Read More

U of T Professor Emeritus Geoffrey Hinton types on a laptop, seen through glass with city buildings reflected around him.

A New Chair for the Next Stage of AI

The endowed position will help turn research into tangible advances in health, sustainability and public life Read More

Third-year biochemistry student Johar Gilaka concentrates as he prunes leaves from plants in U of T Scarborough's vertical grow wall.

What If Farms Didn’t Need Soil?

A vertical growing system points to a lower-carbon future for food Read More

Two young people sit face to face, concentrating as they type on their laptops, suggesting competition.

Every Crime Has a Footprint. The Challenge Is Finding It

A U of T contest asks students to use AI to detect terrorist financing and other serious crimes hidden in financial data Read More

Participants in a stimming workshop draw looping patterns and interact with pens, markers and large sheets of paper around a table.

Understanding Repetitive Behaviours in Autism

A workshop explores how rhythm and pattern can soothe, express and build connection Read More

Health

Cove Neurosciences co-founder Nardin Samuel in a three-quarter portrait, looking toward the camera with a confident, slight smile

AI Gives Doctors a New Way to Track Brain Health

A U of T startup’s platform could help detect Alzheimer’s earlier and monitor concussion recovery Read More

A surgical team in an operating room, with connected devices and monitors feeding into a “black box” system that records the procedure for later analysis.

What Really Makes Surgery Safer

By analyzing operating-room “black box” data, researcher Patricia Trbovich is showing that better systems – not just better surgeons – prevent harm Read More

U of T Mississauga professor Ghazal Fazli looks slightly upward with a joyful expression.

Better Diabetes Screening – and Faster Access to Care

How U of T researcher Ghazal Fazli is helping identify diabetes earlier – and connecting patients with the follow-up they need Read More

U of T medical researcher Daniel Drucker sits on a couch at home, looking toward the camera with a calm expression.

The Story Behind Ozempic

A scientific detour reshaped how we treat diabetes and obesity Read More

Well-being

A smartphone screen shows a person mediating under a sky with clouds.

Training the Mind, One Breath at a Time

A U of T-developed app takes a game-like approach to meditation, helping users listen to their bodies – and manage stress Read More

Writer Leanne Toshiko Simpson looks off-camera with a soft smile, in front of a bookshelf.

A Comedy About Mental Health? It’s More Than Self-Therapy

Novelist Leanne Toshiko Simpson on why she found comedy to be a powerful tool for talking about mental health Read More

$A splintered collage of wildlife, plants and scientific imagery suggests the impact of hydraulic fracturing on traditional Indigenous food sources.$

Is the Land Still Safe?

Partnering with Treaty 8 First Nations, researcher Élyse Caron-Beaudoin is studying whether industrial contaminants are endangering traditional foods Read More